Jersey Royal Potato and Watercress Pesto with Pasta

A vibrant and flavourful pesto made with creamy Jersey Royal potatoes and peppery watercress, tossed with your favorite pasta. This dish celebrates the best of Jersey's local produce.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Total Time

45 minutes

Calories

625 kcal

Difficulty

Easy

Equipment

2 items

Cost

£2.22/serving

Season:

🌸 Spring•☀️ Summer

Meal Type:

Dinner

Cuisine:

Jersey•Italian•Mediterranean

Main Ingredient:

Pasta

Mood:

Comfort Food•Healthy

Ingredients

Servings

500gJersey Royal potatoes(Small to medium size, scrubbed)

£2.50

100gFresh watercress(Washed and roughly chopped, tough stems removed)

£1.20

2Garlic cloves(Peeled)

£0.20

50gParmesan cheese(Freshly grated, preferably Jersey-produced Parmesan if available)

£1.75

100mlExtra virgin olive oil(Good quality)

£1.50

1tablespoonLemon juice(Freshly squeezed)

£0.10

to tasteSalt

£0.05

to tasteBlack pepper(Freshly ground)

£0.10

350gYour favorite pasta(Penne, fusilli, or orecchiette work well)

£1.00

25gJersey Butter(optional, added to cooked pasta)

£0.35

3tablespoonsJersey Milk(Optional, add to reach desired consistency)

£0.15

Total Cost

£8.90

£2.22 per serving

Instructions

1.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Jersey Royal potatoes and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
2.
While the potatoes are cooking, cook your chosen pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
3.
In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked potatoes, watercress, garlic, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. If it's too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved potato water or Jersey milk at a time.
5.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add Jersey butter if using.
6.
Add the pesto to the pasta and toss well to coat. If the pesto is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
7.
Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

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My Notes

Nutrition Information

Nutrition per serving (325g)

625 kcal / 2615 kJ

Carbs

60g

23% of RDA

Fat

35g

50% of RDA

Protein

25g

50% of RDA

Detailed Breakdown

Fibre

7 g

23% of RDA

Sugar

5 g

6% of RDA

Sodium

400 mg

17% of RDA

Saturated Fat

12 g

60% of RDA

Chef's Tips

For a richer flavour, lightly toast pine nuts or walnuts and add them to the pesto.

If you don't have a food processor, you can finely chop all the ingredients and mix them together by hand.

Store leftover pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If using watercress that is very peppery, blanch it briefly in boiling water for 30 seconds before using to mellow the flavour.

Cooking Equipment

Large pot

Food processor or blender

Wine Pairings

No wine pairing suggestions available for this recipe.

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